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dreamily.
She was still wearing the grey trousers and tunic from the night before. There was a trace of black eyeliner smudged beneath her eyes. Her hair was scraped back into a loose bun, not neat like the one she wore last night. She must have forgotten her hairbrush.
“Last night was good fun, wasn’t it?” she said. “The food was great!”
“Yeah – they always get it right there, but it’s bloody expensive.”
“I know – I hope it was okay for you guys?” She seemed concerned.
I brushed her off. “Don’t worry about it.”
She took off her silk scarf and plonked her bag on the desk in front of her. She went into the kitchen and made herself a black coffee. She came back out, clasping the mug between her hands.
“So what did you think of him?” she said, sitting onto her chair.
“Yeah, he’s charming. He seems to really like you.”
“Well, I’m glad you guys got to know each other a bit better.”
“So where did you stay last night?” I asked. She obviously hadn’t been home.
“Oh, he left his car in town last night and we didn’t want to waste time getting a minicab back to my place so we checked into a suite in Claridge’s.”
I raised my eyebrows.
“Oh my God, Kate, it was the most amazing place I have ever stayed in! I bumped into Cate Blanchett in the corridor this morning. I mean literally bumped into her – I was so embarrassed.”
I vaguely remembered seeing something on TV the day before that Cate was in town to promote her new film.
Will rang Nat a while later and I was subjected to listening to the two of them talk about how amazing the night was. The conversation seemed to be about how good the sex had been. It started to irk me so I stood up and took my laptop upstairs to get a head start on the weekly sales report for Tabitha. Was it the glamorous lifestyle and the money – or did she genuinely like him? It was as if I didn’t know her any more. She wasn’t the same Nat that I knew. She was a good-looking girl with a lot going for her, so why was she ready to waste herself at Will’s beck and call? Yes, he seemed to like her but it could only end in tears – there could never be a happy outcome.
When Nat finally finished the phone call, I heard her come upstairs to me.
“Sorry – was I talking too loud?”
“No, I just thought I’d make a start on the sales figures,” I lied.
I decided to seize the moment and tackle her about Will.
“Look, Nat, tell me if it’s none of my business – but what are you doing? Where is this going?”
“Where is what going?”
“You and Will.”
“Oh . . . well . . .”
“What worries me is that he makes no effort to even hide the fact that he’s married with kids! It’s like he thinks it’s perfectly legit to go around having affairs –”
“Affair,” she corrected.
“Come on, Nat – I doubt you’re the first and you certainly won’t be the last either.”
“Well, cheers, Kate!”
“But what about his wife and children – surely you must feel bad for them?”
“Of course I do – it’s horrible! But it’s complicated. I absolutely hate myself every time I think about them. But he and his wife lead separate lives.”
“Oh come on, Nat – that’s what they all say – don’t be so naïve.”
“No, really they do – separate bedrooms – the lot. I know he’ll stay with her for the sake of their children – he has always been upfront with me about that. But it doesn’t mean that he has to miss out on another chance of finding happiness. Sometimes love just finds us and no matter what your head tells you is right or wrong, your heart will win out at the end of the day.
Nat was a hopeless romantic. It made me want to slap her stupid sometimes.
“But you deserve more than just a piece of a man! You’re getting some other woman’s sloppy seconds!”
“It’s not like that.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. When we’re together, it’s well . . . amaaazing .” The smile from earlier on crept back onto her face.